Background Information on CCRU

CCRU home background on CCRU community relations equality and equity research

Introduction

Central Community Relations Unit

The Central Community Relations Unit was established in 1987 to advise the Secretary of State on all aspects of the relationship between the different parts of the Northern Ireland community. The Unit, is part of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and is located within Central Secretariat. The Unit is charged with formulating, reviewing, and challenging Government's policies in order to address issues of equality and improve community relations.

The Unit is currently divided into three branches; Equality and Equity; Community Relations; and Information, Evaluation and Research. Each of these branches has its own separate remit. Two new branches, Linguistic Diversity and New TSN (Social Inclusion) will be established in the autumn of 1998.

Equality and Equity Branch

The Government is committed to ensuring, through a variety of measures, that all sections of the community in Northern Ireland enjoy equality and equity of treatment. CCRU is responsible for taking forward a number of initiatives, for example New TSN, PAFT, and the implementation of the White Paper, 'Partnership for Equality'.

Community Relations Branch

The Community Relations Branch has responsibility for the funding and administration of a number of community relations initiatives, together with addressing policy issues on community relations. Community Relations Branch provides funding to the Community Relations Council and to the District Council Community Relations Programme which promotes cross-community contact, mutual understanding and awareness of cultural diversity. Grant support is also provided towards the development of community-based facilities which are accessible to the main sections of the local community.

Information, Evaluation and Research Branch

The Branch has responsibility for a wide ranging research programme which aims to maintain an up-to-date body of information on the nature and effects of the major divisions in Northern Ireland, and to evaluate, assess and report on the impact of Government's policies, including specific community relations programmes. A programme of evaluation has been set in place to determine the impact of community relations projects and bodies which CCRU funds. The Branch also provides monitoring and evaluation expertise in relation to the "Peace Programme" and the community relations measure of the Physical and Social Environment programme. The Branch provides a statistic, research and evaluation service to CCRU and, when required, to other parts of Central Secretariat.

The Main Roles of the CCRU

The CCRU has three broad roles:

  • challenge - to ensure that major policy decisions are taken only after careful evaluation of their possible effects on community relations;
  • review - to carry out periodic reviews of the most important policies and programmes to assess their impact on community relations; and
  • innovation - to develop new ideas about improving community relations and about how best to support those on the ground who are working to improve relations and reduce prejudice.

Further background information on the CCRU is contained in a submission made by Mr Tony Canavan, Director of the CCRU, to the Northern Ireland Forum on 27 February 1998. Mr Canavan was at the Forum to describe the Government's community relations policy.


Conferences and Seminars

As part of its commitment to the dissemination of information the CCRU sponsors a number of conferences and seminars each year.


Staff

The CCRU has 17 full-time staff working at offices in the centre of Belfast.

Contacting CCRU

The CCRU can be contacted by a number of methods.

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site developed by: Martin Melaugh
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